Roger Lloyd Pack

Voted Britain's best ever sitcom in millennium polls, Only Fools and Horses has a muddled history on video. This release should make things clearer, containing for the first time the complete fifth series on a double-video. Dating from 1986, the episodes have previously appeared on the compilations Tea for Three and Watching the Girls Go By.Like so much great comedy, pathos lies behind these cleverly scripted, deceptively straightforward tales, continuing the tradition of lovable rogues in BBC sitcoms from Steptoe and Son and Porridge. David Jason's Del Boy dreams of becoming a millionaire, "this time next year", but we know life isn't like that. In "From Prussia with Love", Del, kid-brother Rodney (Nicholas Lyndhurst) and Uncle Albert (Buster Merryfield) replay Three Men and a Baby , while "The Miracle of Peckham" raises the church roof. "The Longest Night" has our trio as prisoners of the world's most useless criminal, while Rodney has an unhappy encounter with a sunbed in "Tea For Three". The gormless one turns unlikely film-maker, resulting in a "Video Nasty", before the series ends with "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?", testing family loyalties when Del is offered the chance of a lifetime. Essentially British and very re-watchable, Only Fools and Horses deserves the description classic comedy. --Gary S. Dalkin

Bid 'bonjour' to Britain's favourite sitcom with this 'triffic' box set of Christmas specials. Featuring the last three Christmas specials. You'd be a 'plonker' to miss it! If They Could See Us Now: As bankruptcy looms they're forced to decamp to the old flat in Nelson Mandela Towers and return to their wheeler-dealer ways of old. Strangers On The Shore: Del and Rodney take a trip to France to attend their late uncle Albert's military reunion and end up harbouring

This release features both of the Christmas Specials. Merry Christmas: It has been 10 years since Geraldine became the vicar of Dibley and everyone is determined to celebrate her anniversary. But as usual nothing goes according to plan and she soon has to deal with a disastrous chocolate gift an unexpected visit from a supermodel and a depressed Frank. Happy New Year: It is Geraldine's 40th birthday and the parish council decide the best way to make it an occasion to

Regularly touted as one of the best British sitcoms ever, Only Fools and Horses kicked off in 1981 when mobile phones were the size of bricks and wine bars were the ultimate places to hang out in. The formula was simple enough: Cockney wideboy Derek Trotter (brilliantly played by David Jason) dreams of better things for himself while sharing a cramped council flat in the nicely named Peckham tower block Nelson Mandela House with his unworldly brother Rodney and his sweet but doddery old granddad. Trouble is, Del's endless money-making schemes (such as his attempt to flog a consignment of one-legged turkeys, or his plan to sell bottled tap water) inevitably backfire, like the knackered old Robin Reliant van he uses to cart around all this faulty gear. Created by John Sullivan, who also sings the very catchy theme tune, Only Fools and Horses is a wonderful mix of dodgy but loveable characters (such as Del Boy's dimwit friend Trigger), knockabout slapstick (no-one falls down with as much comedic grace as Jason) and brilliantly crafted dialogue. Sadly, Leonard Pierce who played Granddad died in 1983; but his armchair in the Trotter household was filled in 1985 by Buster Merryfield as Uncle Albert (an old merchant seaman who bores Del and Rodney with tales of his war days). The show ran to seven series and ended with characteristic warmth in 1991, when Del Boy became a father; but the Trotters made occasional returns to the small screens with six hugely popular one-off Christmas specials. As Del Boy himself might say: "Lovely jubbly". --Edward Lawrenson

The most British of British sitcoms, The Vicar of Dibley's well-earned success has nothing to do with the whoops-mind-my-bosoms potential in casting Dawn French in the role of a female vicar foisted upon a sleepy and ultra-conservative English village. Rather this series, set in a rural, largely middle-class environment, is essentially the flip side of, say, Inspector Morse. It's resolutely un-dumbed down, with scalpel-sharp dialogue and a standard of humour that owes more to Tom Stoppard than to mainstream primetime comedy. This release includes the entire first series, in which the vicar has to deal with the inevitable bemusement caused by her arrival and her well-intentioned involvement in the affairs of the community, together with the superbly funny episode in which she realises she's accepted several invitations to Christmas lunch and can't bring herself to disappoint any of the hosts (never before has a sprout-eating contest provoked so much mirth). Above all, though, watch out for the episode which features Kylie Minogue giving the kind of hands-on performance usually associated with classic Morecambe and Wise or Ab Fab--when stars of this stature are happy to send themselves up in a television comedy, you know it's a good sign. On the DVD: The DVD features a slightly bogus "extra" that strings together French's legendary jokes, which, thankfully, also appear in their original locations at the end of each episode.--Roger Thomas

The sleepy village of Dibley has a new vicar but it's not your standard order bloke with beard bible and bad breath - it's Dawn French of the hilarious comedy duo French and Saunders. Armed with a sharp wit a double dose of double entendre and healthy supply of chocolate she brings the town's lovable - through rather eccentric - inhabitants a hysterical new outlook on life love and the Church of England that will leave audiences in stitches! From the writer of Notting Hill and Four Weddings and a Funeral Richard Curtis comes the first two series of this BBC sit-com.

Trotters Independent Traders Company (TIT Co.) remains commercially unviable: Del is stuck with 125 unpredictable Latvian radio alarms and a boxful of baseball caps ""that even East 17 fans wouldn't wear"" and the council have rejected his home improvement grant application!

Del, Rodney and Boycie are in jail in France for kidnapping. The stowaway in their van whom they assumed was an illegal immigrant turned out to be an important businessman who had been trapped in the back. To add to the Trotters' problems, they about to be kicked out of Nelson Mandela House, as they still owe Inland Revenue and have no hope of paying their debt in time. Then Cassandra goes into labour, and Rodney discovers that his father is not who he thought he was.

Dawn French dons her cassock and collar once more for two very special episodes of The Vicar of Dibley one of the BBC's most popular comedies. It boasts the brilliant comic writing of Richard Curtis (Love Actually Bridget Jones's Diary) and a gifted ensemble cast including Emma Chambers (Notting Hill) and Richard Armitage (BBC's Robin Hood). The Handsome Stranger - Gerry is fed up with all the townies buying weekend cottages in Dibley -- that is until she meets one particularly charming newcomer. Could he be the one? Or is it Gerry's destiny to end up heartbroken in another 6-foot deep puddle? The Vicar in White - After presiding over the marriages of hundreds of other people it appears Gerry's big day has finally arrived. Appearances can be deceptive however especially when the eccentric residents of Dibley are doing the planning!

Trotters Independent Trading Company comes face to face with the creme-de-la-menthe of British nobility...Del decides a visit to the opera is the perfect opportunity for Rodders to impress his new 'friend' the daughter of the Duke of Maylebury. However munching a packet of crisps through the duet and whistling along to the aria is more Peckham Astoria than Covent Garden. When Rodney is then invited on a shooting weekend he hardly needs Del to arrive enter the clay pig

Regularly touted as one of the best British sitcoms ever, Only Fools and Horses kicked off in 1981 when mobile phones were the size of bricks and wine bars were the ultimate places to hang out. The formula was simple enough: Cockney wideboy Derek "Del Boy" Trotter (brilliantly played by David Jason) dreams of better things for himself while sharing a cramped council flat in the nicely named Peckham tower block Nelson Mandela House with his unworldly brother Rodney and his sweet but doddery old grandad. Trouble is, Del's endless money-making schemes (such as his attempt to flog a consignment of one-legged turkeys, or his plan to sell bottled tap water under the label "Peckham Spring") inevitably backfire, like the beat-up old Robin Reliant van he uses to cart around all this faulty gear in. Created by John Sullivan, who also sings the very catchy theme tune, Only Fools and Horses is a wonderful mix of dodgy but loveable characters (such as Del Boy's dimwit friend Trigger), knockabout slapstick (no-one falls down with as much comedic grace as Jason) and brilliantly crafted dialogue. Sadly, Leonard Pierce, who played Grandad, died in 1983 (his armchair in the Trotter household was filled in 1985 by Buster Merryfield as Uncle Albert, an old merchant seaman who used to bore Del and Rodney with tales of his war days). The show ran to seven series and ended with characteristic warmth in 1991, when Del Boy became a father; but the Trotters made occasional returns to the small screens with six hugely popular one-off Christmas specials. This, as Del Boy himself might say, is "lovely jubbly". --Edward Lawrenson

Mange tout! The creme de menthe of British comedy is back with another outing for the enterprising Trotter boys. Del and Rodney take a trip to France to attend their late uncle Albert's military reunion and end up harbouring 'Gary' the refugee. Meanwhile Boycie looks set to become a multi-millionaire!

The entire 5-disc set! From the writer of Notting Hill and Four Weddings and a Funeral Richard Curtis. The sleepy village of Dibley has a new vicar but it's not your standard order bloke with beard bible and bad breath - it's Dawn French of the hilarious comedy duo French and Saunders. Armed with a sharp wit a double dose of double entendre and healthy supply of chocolate she brings the town's lovable - through rather eccentric - inhabitants a hyst

First broadcast in the autumn of 1986, the fifth series of Only Fools and Horses consists of half-a-dozen half-hour episodes that are absolutely vintage fare. Indeed, after this series, the BBC gave writer John Sullivan freedom to extend his writing to full feature-length episodes. This series, meanwhile, is a masterclass in characterisation, interplay and in delivering the comedic sucker punch that raises the belly laugh when you least expect it. Included here are "From Prussia With Love", in which Rodney (Nicholas Lyndhurst) and Del (David Jason) take in a heavily pregnant German au pair in distress for the night. Uncle Albert assures them he can talk German and addresses her thus: "Vot izz your name?". "The Miracle of Peckham" is especially well-worked, with a plotline involving missing lead from the church roof and a "weeping statue" which attracts the world&#146;s media. "The Longest Night" sees Del and Rodney held hostage in a supermarket by a gun-toting robber. Never has Del delivered the words "You plonker!" with such feeling as when Rodney makes a grab for the sleeping robber&#146;s cigarettes rather than his gun. "Tea for Three" sees Del sabotage Rodney&#146;s chances with Trigger&#146;s niece, Lisa; though it makes no sense here, prepare to guffaw when Trigger says, "My Gran had one with a squeaky wheel". "Video Nasty" sees Mickey Pierce use Rodney&#146;s local council community film project as a means of making a cheap soft porn movie, while the concluding, characteristically poignant episode sees Del given the chance of a new life in Australia. With this series, a sitcom that once seemed like a poor Minder imitation came of age. On the DVD: Only Fools and Horses, Series 5 is presented in 4:3 picture ratio and Dolby Digital stereo. There are no extra features.--David Stubbs

The second installment of classic episodes from series 1-7! Friday The 14th: The Trotters are off to Boycie's cottage for a spot of salmon poaching. Unfortunately for them so is an escaped axe murderer! Thicker Than Water: Del and Rodney's dad returns after 18 years. Rodney is keen to forgive and forget but Del isn't so sure... Hole In One: Rodney's investment in suntan oil during the worst British winter since the last Ice Age has left the Trotters clos

It's been a good month for Trotter's Independent Trading Company. The unprecedented demand for ladies razors has meant Del and Rodney can escape the daily struggle for a while and enjoy life's rewards. Uncle Albert's unmissable hints about his forthcoming birthday means there's a celebration on the cards and the new computer dating agency means romance is in the air. While Rodney's afternoon cruise in the three - wheeler with Nervous Neris proves memorable for all the wrong reason

A spoof sci-fi story in which blue comedian Roy Chubby Brown is kidnapped by two female aliens and taken aboard a spacecraft where he is found guilty of moral turpitude. His sentence - he will become pregnant every year for the next thirty years...